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One of my favorite sales of the year is coming up in less than two weeks!
The annual 5-day Splashof Pink pop-up at the Tanger Outlets in Westbrook, CT starts on Wednesday August 16th at 9:00AM.

Some tips of advise from previous years:

*Get there early, VERY early (especially on the weekends). The line will start forming a few hours prior to the opening time. It’s better to be waiting at the beginning of the line and get to enter the store first, than arriving late and watching others through the window shop while you wait to be let in. The employees will only let a certain number in at a time – but it still seems crowded once you enter!

*Come prepared. I mean, black Friday prepared. It’s not uncommon to see women sipping on their morning coffees and eating breakfast in line. And, I’ve seen a portable chair or two – just make sure you’re with someone who will bring it back to the car for you when it’s your turn to enter. Trust me, your boyfriend/husband will NOT be the only one dragged along (there’s a nice ledge they all sit on as they watch the shopping madness and hold mile-high piles of potential purchases)

*Grab fast. It is First Come, First Served – and sizes & styles are very limited. So if you see something you love, grab it. If you turn around or walk away, it might be gone for good. Items are re-stocked throughout the weekend, but shoppers never know which items will be re-stocked or when the re-stock takes place. With that being said, make sure you try it on, because all sales ARE final. Which brings me to my next tip….

*Wear “conservative” undergarments. The dressing room consists of one giant curtain. Basically, you find a spot right next to someone else to strip down and try on items. You’re sharing mirrors in one massive mob of women. And it may sound far fetched now, but if someone sees you trying on an item that they LOVE, they may “stalk” you to see if you’re going to give it up as you leave the fitting room.
(And, I don’t use the term stalk lightly. Last year, I had a teenage girl and her mom eyeing my every move as I contemplated between a size S and size M of the TuskInSun t-shirt dress. They watched me try each size on, commenting on the fit, and trying to convince me to choose the M even though it was way too big! Unfortunately for her, I ended up snatching the S).

*Just have fun! Pop-up sales can be hectic, but when you find an item you love, they are totally worth it! Since Lilly rarely goes on sale, this one is not to be missed!

Just in case you didn’t receive a postcard in the mail, I posted a photo of it below! Please be sure to read the details, they only take certain payment options (no checks), and remember sales are final, so make your selections wisely!

If you’ve been to this pop-up in the past, I’d love to hear your experiences, advise & tips – please share in the comments section!

Till next time, get ready!
(And be sure to check back after the sale to get a peak at my findings!

Hair barrettes. They’re tiny, they break easily, and no matter how careful I am, my favorite ones always “disappear”. So why are they so expensive?!

Fortunately, I found some great mark downs at J. Crew and it was definitely time to stock up! Their barrettes come in a wide variety of sizes, and the color choices of silver, gold, rose gold and tortoise shell make them extremely versatile for any outfit. They also hold a GOOD amount of my super-thick hair (well enough to sweep the top part off of my face) – so that’s a plus!

Rose Gold & Gold Barrettes

The barrettes a J.Crew normally retail for $12.50 (some are a little less or a little more). The two I chose were marked down to $6.99 each, and then there was an additionally 50% off discount on top of the sale price! I ended up getting two different barrettes for under $8 – which was less than the original price of one! That’s over 65% off!

If you’ve been eyeing a deal on Living Social: Use the code GREEN to get $5 off $25 (up to 20%), $10 off $40 (up to 25%) and $30 off $100 (up to 30%).

I’ve been skeptical of these new “mail order food boxes” (In this case “Hello Fresh”). Personally, I like going to the grocery store, and I’m quite picky with the fruits and vegetables I buy, but Living Social had a pretty great deal, so I figured I’d give it a try. I read over a lot of great reviews, which swayed my decision. The website even say each meal comes with its own individual recipe card – and they only take 30 minutes to make! I could always add new recipes to my collection – maybe it’ll help me expand my “go-to” meals!

The package I purchased was $59 on living social – cut down from $119, but that prices was reduced to $49 after my coupon. It provides 6 meals, for 2 people, over a 2 week time span. That’s only $4.08 per meal, per person! Now, the subscription automatically renews after my 2 weeks are up – but I already marked my calendar to cancel it right before my package ends, so I’ll never get charged again!

I also earned 3% cashback on my purchase since I shopped using the Living Social link on the Chase Credit Card website! (Who doesn’t love cashback!)

Oh, I couldn’t leave this one out for St. Patrick’s Day: Enjoy the “Week of Waterford“. Waterford Crystal is now offering 25% off of their stemware until March 26th at Bed, Bath & Beyond and the Waterford Website. That’s a steep (and rare) discount!

I had an amazing weekend! My husband and I ventured through the snowy weather to a most relaxing Bed & Breakfast (and tea parlor) in Dover, New Hampshire. Dover is incredibly peaceful, Victorian homes line the snow covered streets and the downtown area is full of small family-owned shops. Dover is also great because it’s close to Portsmouth, Kittery and Ogunquit. Despite the cold temperatures, we took a short detour to Kittery and ran in and out of a few stores. First up: Adidas.

Now, I’m not normally a fan of sneakers. I would literally be barefoot 24/7 if I could. But, since it’s impossible to wear flip flops between October and April in New England, we have no other option but to cover our feet. I was browsing the clearance section and came across these slip-on “sneakers”. No laces? Awesome! Extremely comfortable. More awesome! And how about the fact that they came in both black and navy, so they’ll pretty much match all of my leggings and athleisure wear.

So, let me get to the GOOD part. The entire store was buy one item, get one 50% off. Both pairs were marked down to $19.99. When all was said and done, my total including tax came to $31.58 – and I was also given a coupon for a future purchase! Curiosity got hold of me, and I began to peel away the layers and layers of orange stickers, until I discovered the original price of each pair was $89.00. Total savings of over 83% off!!

Stay tuned for more deals from my trip! ‘Till then, stay warm!

(UPDATE: 2/20/2017: I wore the black and green pair to the grocery store today and received two compliments! They are incredibly comfortable – I even still have them on my feet!)

Labor Day weekend was full of excitement: spent time scrapbooking, tried some amazing new restaurants (thanks, groupon), explored downtown Mystic, and celebrated “laboring” by shopping, of course!

Lets start with the Nordstom Rack “Clear the Rack” sale where all red-tag items are an additional 25% off! This adorable $78 robe came to $14.25!

Next – even though I normally hate Kohl’s, they sent me a $5 reward card in my e-mail and I also had a 20% off coupon. The result: 2 dish towels for $1.24 – $14.81 savings!

Then we took a quick trip to the mall. I had a $10 reward card to Victoria’s Secret so this turquoise $20 high-neck sports bra came to $10.63 with tax! And my favorite deal? I had a $20 reward card for Ann Taylor and all sale items were an extra 60% off. I got two items worth $60 for only $5.52 including tax (super comfortable tee & classic bangle bracelet)!!

I did get one more REALLY amazing 73% off deal at BCBG, but I’ll wait to share that with you!

Summer sales are in full swing but fading fast. Even though it’s hard to think of leaves, pumpkins and chilly nights in this heat-wave, the autumn styles will be out before you know it. Forget “Back-to-School” – the craft stores are already displaying Halloween and Thanksgiving items!! (This is actually good for all of us crafters to get a head start on the upcoming holidays!)

If you scroll back through my posts, an entire year, you’ll find out how much I love the “Red Hanger Sale” at Talbots – it’s definitely the time to stock up! Prices are completely slashed. Not only are spring and summer items redlined, they are an additional 50% off of the sale price. Want a deeper discount? Use your Talbots card for an extra 5% off everything (think of it as almost covering the tax).

In addition, this weekend, regular price styles are ALSO 50% off. That includes swimsuits and their new July collection.

Today I got to sport some of my finds for Dress Down Friday at work. The “Perfect Sleeveless Shirt” is exactly as named: Perfect. It’s iron-free and completely wearable right out of the dryer. The beautiful marigold color definitely brightens things up after a week full of classic navy and black! This was originally $69.50 – marked down to $64.50. Slice that in half and the shirt ran just over $30! That’s 55% off!

Now, if you’re patient – these prices will be discounted even further within the next few weeks but the racks clear fast!

Since it’s Friday, I was allowed to wear denim, and my new “Not Your Daughters Jeans” from Nordstrom Rack accompanied the button up shirt perfectly! Okay, okay, maybe NYDJ’s are not made for under-thirty-somethings or under-forty’s for that matter, BUT my skinny jeans just don’t cut it for the office and if you spent just one day in NYDJ’s I promise you’ll be hooked! I’ll just save my 7 for All Mankind and True Religion styles for the weekends.

Not only are these the most comfortable jeans I’ve ever worn, I NEVER tugged at the waistband or pulled them up the entire day. That’s pretty much unheard of for my sans-hips self. Besides that, they’re not too tight, nor too baggy and have just the right amount of stretch. PLUS, I did NOT have to get them hemmed – they were somehow the PERFECT length. Bring on a few more pairs (especially if I could find more at the price I paid)!

I stopped by Nordstrom Rack about a week ago and found these jeans on the clearance rack marked down to $17.10 – only $18.19 with tax! These were originally $114 so that’s exactly 85% off? I’ll take it!

My entire outfit was $20 LESS than what the shirt alone would have cost me if I paid full price for it (if that were to EVER happen).

Days can go by so quickly when schedules get hectic: between sleep, work, fitness, social activities, cooking, eating and cleaning, 24 hours passes in the blink of an eye. But, when you add 365 days together, so much more can happen!

I think back to a year ago, when I was flying to Florida to take a week-long road trip with my fiancé (now husband) up to Connecticut. A year later, our wedding and honeymoon are behind us, and that road trip seems like such a distant memory.

But I still remember enough to tell you about it:

We took a lot of breaks on our 1000mile road trip, to explore new areas and sight see. After stopping in Savannah, Georgia for lunch and a trolley tour, we made our way to Charleston, South Carolina. Besides the bought of ghost activity in the Barksdale House Bed & Breakfast (still spooks me!), we loved the area. We found a strip of stores and restaurants within walking distance of our B&B and definitely took advantage of strolling around to stretch our legs.

Not only did I pick up a pair of Pink Tusk-In-Sun elephant shorts at Lilly Pulitzer (which were sold out in my size everywhere else at the time!), Kate Spade was also having their annual Work.Play.Sale! I had a ball trying on piles of clothes in their beautifully wallpapered fitting room adorned with velour bow-shaped pillows and inspirational quotes on the mirrors.

At this point our wedding was 10 months away – but by now you should know I plan ahead! (Way ahead!) As I contemplated between a few dresses, I decided on the cream colored fit&flare Tanner dress – knowing it would be perfect for our rehearsal dinner. It’s a comfortable blend of cotton & silk that can be dressed up or down.

The (original) price was a little hefty: $448. BUT: the sale price slashed that in half to $224. Calculate the additional 30% off… down to $156.80! That’s 65% off!!

What comes around goes around – it’s a year later and the Work.Play.Sale is BACK at Kate Spade until July 5th! Check our their website or a local store to receive an additional 30% off their already-reduced sale items!

Let’s talk floral. Floral is your perfect go-go for any spring or summer function: showers, weddings, graduation parties and bbqs. So when I came across two Eliza J. floral dresses for $20 and change at Nordstrom Rack, I grabbed them as quick as I could! Eliza J. fits me pretty well so that saves a much-dreaded trip to the tailor!

This weekend I was able to wear one of them at my friends Bridal Shower Tea-Party so I can finally share my post with you!

Hopefully you took advantage of some of the “Leap Year” sales & deals yesterday, like a free cup of tea at David’s Tea!

If not, there’s still so many deals for spring ahead (21 days away, but who’s counting!).

In addition to the spring countdown, I have a few others going on… my wedding and honeymoon to name a few! In just over three months I’ll be headed to clear turquoise water, white sand and palm trees swaying in the breeze.

Lands End has been sending me e-mails galore full of new spring and summer merchandise, and when I saw an adorable polka dot bikini, they had my attention. Each piece was pretty pricy since these are brand new items,
but I thought I could treat myself for this special tropical trip ahead.
Plus, their baiting suit fit and quality are certainly hard to beat.

Even though I was treating myself, I still couldn’t bear to pay full price (WHY should I?)
I didn’t have to. It’s Friends & Family! Right now, your ENTIRE Lands End purchase is an additional 30% off! You’ll also receive free shipping if you spend over $50!

Until Midnight tonight, you can get this deal too using Code: PAL302 Pin: 7000

Have fun stocking up for spring (or grabbing last minute winter clearance for next year)!
‘Till next time, save a dime!

(Note: I updated this post because my final price in store came out much less than when I put the item on hold online) Read on…

Let’s talk about rewards. All you have to do is play your cards right: credit cards that is.

I recently bought a bedroom set at Pier 1. I purchased the bed, dresser and chest through the Shop Discover link with my Discover card. Some stores give up to a 20% bonus when you use this link. Pier 1 offers 5% back, and that one transaction alone earned me $107 cash back bonus! I can use that bonus to put toward my statement dollar for dollar, or to get rewarded even further with gift cards. This month, I traded in $20 of that bonus for a $25 Pier 1 gift-card – plus a few other gift-cards from Sephora, Homegoods/Marshalls & Bed, Bath & Beyond!
(Trading in for gift-cards earns you an extra 20% and the options are endless!) I already used part of the Pier 1 gift card on a pretty pineapple plate, but still had $17 left.

I purchased the two nightstands for the bedroom set a few weeks later than the other furniture – that time I used the Pier 1 credit card (when they were on sale and with a coupon of course!) – that purchase earned me $30 in Pier 1 rewards, which printed out on the statement.

I’ve been ‘window shopping’ online for the last few months for a new outdoor umbrella, but I couldn’t bear to buy one full price knowing they’d slash soon enough. Plus, there was nothing mechanically wrong with mine that prevented it from doing it’s intended job of blocking the afternoon sun. (Go back to my post about patience if you missed that one…) Now that I had rewards and a gift-card, Pier 1 seemed like the way to go!

Well, the $159.95 umbrella I wanted is now marked down to $103.96. Lucky for me, when I was scrolling through Facebook this morning, I came across a Pier 1 coupon code – $1o off $50 or $25 off $100! (The coupon needs to be scanned in store or you can use code Pier1Fallonline until 9/27/15!

The umbrella pole had a slight scratch and it was the last one, but somehow this made my day better. The scratch would be completely covered by the umbrella base and it meant another discount. The cashier also informed me that all outdoor merchandise had an additional 20% off.

So, she rung up my umbrella and used the $25 coupon first (had she taken the % off first I couldn’t use the coupon). Then she took off 20%, then an additional 25% for “damage”. She took my $30 rewards off next, then swiped my $17 gift card.

Now I have a beautiful new blue umbrella for next summer and years to come! Nobody will never see the scratch covered by the stand either. In the end, I only paid $2.78 including tax out of pocket! That’s over 98.5% off of the original price – and I earned it :). Best deal yet? Quite possibly.